"After he had washed their feet...[Jesus] returned to the table." (John 13:12)
Jesus returned to the table, that simple common space,
Moving from water and undeserved grace
To bread that nourishes and sustains our place --
Two simple elements, no time to waste.

I should have known there would be water,
But of course there would be bread.
From the start of creation, God has tried to keep us fed --
Fed on bread and roses and love we don't notice.
I should have known there would be water,
But of course there would be bread.

I should have known there would be space
At the table for grace --
Space for nerves, and questions, and absent confessions;
Space for me and Elijah and Judas, without question.
I should have known there would be space,
But of course there would be bread --
For it started with manna, and all must be fed.

"This is my body, broken for you.
For you, five thousand;
For you, Israelite nation;
For you, child of the covenant;
Judas and Peter,
This is my body broken for you."

That simple phrase, paired with the food of the day,
Makes me human again - nourishes weak spots within.
It lifts me up and draws me back in --
Breathing life into bones that were weary and thin.

For it's easy to be so hungry for God
That God must appear in the shape of a meal,
Countering frailty, allowing me to heal.

So maybe that's why I come back to this space,
Because I know God will be here, offering grace.
And I need that bread in order to feel --
In order to see the kingdom revealed.

I should have known there would be water,
But of course there would be bread --
For I am hungry, and all must be fed.